Raleigh, N.C. (September 3, 2008)—North Carolina’s electric cooperative officials are monitoring Tropical Storm Hanna, which is currently gaining strength off the Atlantic coast and is expected to reach hurricane status by the time it makes landfall. North Carolina’s electric co-ops stand ready to restore power should outages occur in the wake of Tropical Storm Hanna’s possible visit to the state.

Electric cooperative personnel have begun to double-check equipment and supplies that will allow them to restore power if Hanna causes major outages in North Carolina. When severe weather causes outages, electric cooperative line crews begin working immediately to restore service in a safe and efficient manner.

Electric cooperative customers should make sure they have their electric cooperative’s outage number available. The outage reporting phone numbers for the state’s 26 electric cooperatives, and comprehensive storm and electric safety information can be found at www.ncelectriccooperatives.com.

Now is the time to prepare an emergency kit that includes non-perishable food and bottled water, a flashlight, radio, batteries and any other items necessary for getting through a power outage. Remember to NEVER touch a fallen power line; fallen lines can be energized, and touching them could result in serious injury or even death.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives serve approximately 2.5 million people in 93 of the state’s 100 counties.